Curriculum Deployment

Small Group Deployment

The EM Fundamentals books contain small group activities for each of the True Emergencies and Common Complaints.

With multiple activities per topic, each of the 17 sessions is designed to take one hour to complete.

The EM Fundamentals Workbook contains the prompts and cases for each activity, as well as space for note taking during discussion. Hard copies of the Workbook are available from Amazon and help keep learning points organized in one place. Electronic copies of the Workbook are available for free on the Resources page.

The EM Fundamentals Facilitator Guide contains all of the material from the Workbook, plus an answer key and discussion points for each activity. This format minimizes the work needed from small group facilitators, who will have discussion points and references at their fingertips without any preparation needed. Hard copies of the Facilitator Guide are available from Amazon. Discounted copies are available for program leadership by contacting us directly.

There are multiple ways programs have successfully secured time for these small group activities. Options include:

Conference breakout sessions

In this model, junior trainees complete EM Fundamentals small group activities while the senior trainees discuss more advanced content.

Pre- or post-conference sessions

In this model, junior trainees come to conference one hour early or stay one hour late, during which time they participate in these activities.

Independent Sessions

In this model, sessions are scheduled outside of weekly conference. Examples include sessions during orientation/bootcamp and stand-alone sessions like many use for journal clubs.

Once materials are ready and time has been secured, it's time to recruit and train facilitators.

Faculty, fellows, and senior trainees can all facilitate EM Fundamentals small group sessions. Familiarize them with the EM Fundamentals style, including how activities are designed to promote interaction and the exchange of tacit knowledge, rather than simply review facts. Facilitators should also be aware that minimal preparation for these sessions is required -- they need only to briefly review the activities and teaching points in the Facilitator Guide before the session.

Simulation Deploymet

Simulation Deployment

The EM Fundamentals simulation activities are designed for Simulation-Based Mastery Learning (SBML).

Consensus-derived checklists are available for both independent practice and procedural assessments.

The EM Fundamentals procedural checklists are available for download on the Resources page. They are also included in the EM Fundamentals Facilitator Guide and Workbook.

We encourage trainees to review these checklists and the relevant videos from the Essential Skills pages prior to live practice in the simulation lab.

The EM Fundamentals Standard for Procedural Mastery

Mastery is defined as consistent procedural performance without any threats to patient or provider safety and suggesting a high likelihood of success in completing the procedure on a low complexity patient without guidance, assistance, or advice.

These checklists clearly set expectations for trainees as they learn and for educators as they assess performance, including through the use of a universal mastery standard and notes for performance dimension training of raters.

We support trainees progressing through these procedures at their own pace. To support this asynchronous, competency-based model, we encourage an arrangement where learners have easy, independent access to procedural trainers and recording devices. Learners can then practice independently until they believe they have achieved mastery, at which point they can record a performance of the procedure and send it to faculty for assessment and feedback. This system minimizes scheduling requirements and the demand on faculty time. In addition, during the era of social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this model minimizes the risk of transmission through gatherings.